Chapter 18 is online :)
No warnings for this chapter. Well just the normal yaoi/shounen-ai warning xD

Enjoy chapter 18 for now :)

Previous chapter:
Naruto lets Tsunade in on his darkest well-kept secret, his past.
Itachi lets Tsunade know how badly Naruto has been hurt and she feels that Naruto has finally found his place, next to Uchiha Itachi. Tsunade is free to go back to Konoha, but knows that one day Naruto will come back to Konoha and a war might start.

Chapter 18:
Leaving the Akatsuki Base

Akatsuki base:

After seeing Tsunade leave, Naruto looked back at the raven. Itachi simply smiled.
"She understood your reasons, Naruto-kun." Itachi stated.

"Well. I do believe you have shown her something else too." Naruto said, as he eyed the other.
"What parts did you show her exactly?" Naruto asked. Naruto had trusted Itachi the moment he wanted Tsunade to see his past.

But Naruto did wonder if Itachi had gone too far with showing it.
"Only the parts you would have wanted her to see." Itachi said and he moved forward and hugged Naruto.

Naruto closed his eyes and let his head fall on Itachi's chest, hearing the heartbeat inside of him.
Naruto smiled. "You are a terribly lair."

Itachi chuckled. "Oh. Am I really?" Itachi grabbed the blonde's head and hold him close. He looked at the way Tsunade had gone off too.

"Yes, 'Tachi. You are a terrible lair. Or I just know you too well." Itachi smiled. Naruto put his arms around the other and held him close.
"But I don't mind. I trust your judgement into this. No matter what you showed her, it seemed to reach her."

"Of course it did, Naruto. But still…" Itachi looked at the blonde's head and his blond hair, Naruto looked up, knowing that Itachi wanted to ask something important. "How are you going to explain to Pain-sama that you let the Hokage free?"

Naruto chuckled. "I will manage somehow. We just need to move our base."
Itachi laughed. "You know. That is easier said than done."

Naruto laughed. "Well I do know you got my back, so it will be alright." Naruto said, as he let go of the raven and walked back towards the entrance of the base.

"Well so I can clean up your mess?" Itachi said as he watched the blond move back towards the entrance. Naruto turned around, a smile on his face. "No. not entirely. We will both clean it up."
Itachi shook his head and walked after the blond, back into the base, closing the secret door behind them.

Naruto moved forward. "Itachi. We will go and pay Konoha a visit." Naruto said while he walked over to where Pain was. Itachi simply followed and smiled.

"Why going there so early? You just came back?" Itachi asked.
Naruto turned his head a bit so he could watch the raven. "We will be leaving right after I talked to Pain-sama about it."

"You have a plan don't you, Naru-chan?" Itachi said, while he walked a bit faster so he was walking next to the blond. Naruto was smiling, but it was a devious smile Itachi noticed. Naruto didn't care for his nickname anymore. When Itachi would say it he didn't mind.

Itachi chuckled. "How fast do you want to travel?" He asked.
"As fast as possible. I want to try and reach Konoha tomorrow morning."

Itachi eyed him. "Are you serious? We are fast, but we will never reach it by tomorrow morning."

Naruto stopped. "Hm, ask Konan if she could travel us with her paper jutsu, that will be a lot faster." Naruto replied looking at the raven.

"You have thought about it all haven't you." Itachi remarked, while he softly shook his head. He still remembered the young boy, the boy who had grown up to be this young male and he loved him with all he had.

"Of course." Naruto smiled. "I need to think ahead, and get one step before Tsunade to win this fight."

Itachi looked at him. "We will confront Sasuke?" he asked, knowing that was what the blond wanted to do.

"Yes. Itachi. It's time you and Sasuke talk. And I will make sure you both will talk with each other." Naruto said, his face was serious. He wanted the two of them to forgive each other. Now that Sasuke knew the truth it would be a lot easier.

Itachi sighed, but he knew Naruto was right. He looked up at the blond. Naruto had been friends with his younger brother. So of course he would want them to get along again. Itachi wouldn't have any trouble with it, despite that he had lied to Sasuke in the past.

Naruto noticed Itachi's struggle. No one had knew what the Uchiha had been through. He was ordered to kill his own family. And he had done it and left Konoha afterwards, marking him a S-Class criminal. When Naruto and Itachi had been together for some time. Itachi had opened up to him. He had told him about his past.

Seeing it as fair since he knew about Naruto's past. Naruto wanted to help Itachi, no matter what. He had falling in love with him a long time ago.

Naruto was sure, they had falling in love with each other, cause they were able to see behind each other's mask and accept the person inside.

Naruto walked forward and kissed Itachi slowly. "Don't worry 'Tachi. I am sure Sasuke will forgive you." Naruto said. Itachi smiled softly. "I hope so. I really hope so, Naruto-kun.."

Itachi wanted nothing more than that, to be forgiving. By his last family member. His own brother.
"Go ask Konan if she is capable to bring us to Konoha. And I will explain the situation to Pain-sama." Naruto said, one of his hand still on Itachi's cheek. Itachi gave a nod.

It was time to stop running, time to face their past.
Naruto walked further, while Itachi turned around walking towards Konan's room.

Naruto glanced back one sec to see the raven disappearing around the corner.
Naruto walked further then again. He did this for Itachi. Cause Itachi had wanted that Sasuke had known the truth. He didn't want to lie to him, it had hurt him more than anything else.

Naruto knocked on the door of Pain's room. Come in he heard from the inside.

Naruto opened the door and closed it behind him, looking inside the room he noticed Pain sitting on a table, reading some scrolls. He looked up when he felt Naruto's presence.
"Naruto-kun, what can I do for you?" He asked.

Naruto walked further inside. "I let the Hokage go free. She is returning to Konoha as we speak." Naruto stated. Pain's eyes went a bit wider at the information.
"I hope you know what you are doing then?" He then asked, seeing that the blond might have a plan.

"Yes. I have a plan." Naruto smiled. His blue eyes were shining. It was almost time.
Pain gave a nod. "Then I guess it's fine for now, but next time discus these things with me first, Naruto."

"I will Pain-sama. Thank you." Naruto gave a small nod, as he walked out of the room.
Pain just gave a nod back, and went back to reading the scroll in front of him. He needed to understand it somehow. And he had a feeling time was running out.

Naruto knew he needed to tell Itachi about this. But he wondered how he would explain it all.

Naruto noticed Itachi standing in the hallway, Konan was standing next to him. They had been waiting for him.

"You got approval to leave the base?" Konan asked as she watched the blond walk past her.
"Yes. I have. You can help us get in Konoha in time?" Naruto asked back at her.

"Yes of course I can." She replied. Naruto walked into their room and put his cloak on, Itachi followed his example.
Then they walked to the entrance of the base and went outside

"Ok, be ready." Konan said as she raised her arms, small papers parts flying out of her, encircling both of the ninja's.

Naruto gave a nod. "Thank you, Konan." Naruto said. Itachi put his arms around Naruto and pulled him close, Naruto wrapped his arms around the raven as they felt they were being lifted into the sky and the wind and Konan's jutsu brought them too Konoha.

Konoha:
Hokage's office(Jiraiya)
Jiraiya hard ordered the villagers to grab and take everything they valued, cause they were going to leave Konoha behind. The villagers were afraid, abandon the village, abandoning the Hokage who was now at the Akatsuki's hands. At the kyuubi's hands.

Kakashi and Iruka had told them not to leave just yet.
But they did warn the people that Naruto had cared about.
Jiraiya knew Naruto wouldn't back down. He would come. He would come and destroy Konoha.

And the worse part of it. They wouldn't be able to stop him. So instead Jiraiya had decided to flee with everyone. Fighting Naruto and the other Akatsuki members would be pure suicide.

"Jiraiya-san!" Someone screamed, Jiraiya looked back as an ninja entered the room. "We received a letter. It's from the Hokage-sama. It bears her seal."

Jiraiya immediately walked towards him. "Hand it over." He said. If it was indeed from Tsunade she was still alive.

"Hai." And the ninja gave the letter to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya immediately noticed the Hokage's seal on the scroll. "Tsunade…" he said softly. He opened it and began to read.

"Give the order, to stop evacuation." Jiraiya said.
He looked up towards the guard. "The Hokage is returning. The Hokage is coming back. Give that message. Now!"

The ninja gave a nod and left the room afterwards. "You are alive…, they let you live, but why?" Jiraiya asked.

Jiraiya looked at the city, as he saw the ninja relying the message to the villagers. The villagers were relieved, happy to hear that she was fine and returning. He noticed it. But Jiraiya knew it was far too early to celebrate. Something must have happened. Tsunade had went willingly, but how would she explain that she was returning alive.

He only could wait till she would return. She would explain everything that had happened. And what was going to happen.

Kakashi and Iruka:
Iruka had trouble sleeping with the thoughts of what might could happen.
Kakashi had noticed it. They had warned all the people that Naruto had wanted to keep safe.
Strangely though Sasuke hadn't been on that list, but he had shown that Naruto and him had a secret.

Iruka looked at Kakashi who was sitting next to him. They were in his living room. Kakashi had said he would stay together with him, since Iruka really was feeling awful.

Kakashi was reading his book, but when he felt that Iruka had been watching him for some time he looked up at the teacher. Iruka noticed that he looked up.

"Uhm.." Iruka said, feeling a bit awkward. "How can you handle it. I mean Naruto was your student too..?"

Kakashi looked back at his book, but not reading it anymore. He hadn't been reading at all. He couldn't register anything that was inside the book. "I can't.." He soflty replied.

Iruka looked back up at the silver-haired. "I feel like we failed Naruto. We should have helped him."

"Yes, we should have. But we didn't see how badly hurt he was." Kakashi looked up and smiled. "Cause he hid behind his smile."

Iruka smiled sadly. "That's true, no one would have thought that Naruto would cry when he was home alone in his room. That cheerful blond, who seemed unbroken…"

Kakashi eyed him. Yeah that part had hurt them both the most. The young blond boy, crying in his bed, crying till he fell asleep. The boy who was beating and left to bleed. No one who did help him.

They hadn't told anyone about these images they had seen about Naruto's past. They had only warned them for the destruction Naruto wanted to cause. And that they should leave Konoha, since he wasn't planning on sparing lives inside the city.

"It's kind of sad how it turned out like this. A week ago Naruto was dead, and then he just walked back into town like nothing had happened." Iruka said with a small sad smile.

Kakashi closed his eyes. "It is sad indeed. Do you have doubts about leaving Konoha behind, Iruka?"

Iruka stayed silent for some time, thinking about the question that Kakashi had asked him.
"Well, I suppose so. I grew up her you know. We all grew up here." Iruka stated.

Kakashi gave a nod. Iruka was right. But they both could understand Naruto's point of view too.
and that was what sucked the most. Relating to both sides, and being stuck in the middle of it.

Sasuke had made up his mind, he had chosen to side with Naruto and his brother, which was understandable too, considering his past and the lies that had been told by Konoha.

When Sakura had heard the news, she couldn't believe it and she said she wouldn't leave the town, cause her family would also stay. She would not leave her family behind.

Same went for most of the people that had warned. They wouldn't leave their families behind.
Hinata had wanted to leave though, but Neji had said she couldn't leave.

So Iruka and Kakashi had given up on warning them. They were faithful to the end. Faithful to their families and to Konoha. They wouldn't leave the city burning and the villagers dying.

In the end Iruka and Kakashi both still had to decide what they wanted. Kakashi looked up when he heard a lot of ruckus on the streets. Iruka also noticed it, both wondering what was happening they went to the front door.

People were laughing and crying, they were happy? Kakashi went to one villager in front of them. "What happened?" He asked the male. The male smiled and replied: "The Hokage is coming back! She is alive and returning home!"
Kakashi looked shocked, when he turned his head, Iruka looked the same. How was that possible…

Sasuke:
The news had been spreading. The Hokage was returning. Sasuke didn't know what exactly happened. But he would go and find out. He would need to talk to her. To see if she had known about the Uchiha's past, about his brother's past.
To be honest he doubted that she would know. Since she wasn't here yet, but at least Sasuke wanted to let her know.

He was sitting on a bench, near the Hokage Tower. He was going to wait for her return.
Sasuke looked up and noticed some people of the academy, Ino, Sakura and Hinata were walking. They didn't notice him as he looked at them.

Sasuke had heard from Kakashi what he and Iruka had seen, but it didn't come as a shock towards the young Uchiha. Sasuke had known that Naruto had been hurt terribly. He just never told anyone. He would take that secret back to his grave, but now everyone was finding out about it.

Sasuke remembered the fight at the Valley of the End. How Naruto had stopped him, he laughed a bit. The irony. Everyone really believed they had fought.

-Flash back:-
Valley of the end:

When Naruto had heard that Sasuke had left the village. He went after him
He couldn't stand letting him go, he just couldn't.
Lee, Neji, Shikamaru and Chouji had helped him too. They had stayed behind and fought the servants of Orochimaru.

When Naruto caught up he saw that the curse mark on Sasuke was spreading.
Sasuke had lost it, completely.

"Sasuke!" Naruto screamed. "Don't you dare to leave, idiot!"
Sasuke looked at the blond, he showed no emotion at all his red sharingan eyes looking at blue eyes.

"Don't stop me, Naruto. Don't even try. You can't keep me in that hell hole."
Naruto looked at him, his eyes were sad. But Sasuke didn't know why they looked sad.

"If you leave… then be prepared to never see me anywhere alive." Naruto said softly.
"What is that for kind of threat?" Sasuke really didn't know what Naruto meant.

"Stay in Konoha. Please, that's all I ask of you, Sasuke. Stay there."
"I got no reason to stay. I can't get the power I want inside Konoha Naruto. I need to avenge my family." Sasuke's eyes turned back to black, instead of the red. Since he noticed that Naruto didn't want to fight.

Naruto closed his eyes. "Stay, please…" It was nothing more than a whisper, but Sasuke heard it. He had never seen Naruto like this. He seemed so hurt, so fragile. He walked towards the blond, who had let himself fall on his knees, his eyes closed. His hands grabbing the earth, when Sasuke was close enough he heard sobs.

Naruto was crying… the cheerful blond, which always smiled was now crying in front of him.
"Naruto…? What is wrong?"

Naruto shook his head, not wanting to talk about it. As he cried a little harder. He couldn't stop crying anymore. If Sasuke would leave Konoha, he too would leave.

With Sasuke he had a reason to stay there. He had someone who looked at him and fought back against him. His own rival. Sasuke had become the reason why Naruto was still in Konoha.
Sasuke had been the reason, his reason to live.

"Don't leave Sasuke… don't leave me alone." Naruto whispered through his sobs.
Sasuke didn't understand, but he felt like he couldn't leave like this. He turned his head to look at the way which he was traveling. Orochimaru could wait, Itachi could wait. He wouldn't turn his back on Naruto now. Not when it seemed like Naruto needed him.

When Sasuke looked back at Naruto he noticed, he wasn't crying as bad anymore as before.
"If you want me to stay, I will not leave yet. Naruto…"

Naruto looked up, his blue eyes sad and yet there was a sparkle of hope? No not hope, disbelieve?
"Sasuke… your family." Naruto replied.

"Well I can't turn my back on you like this. We had our fights sometimes. But to me, you were my first friend, Naruto." Sasuke said, while he showed a little smile.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Your first friend?"
Sasuke laughed a bit. "Yeah. Someone as famous as me and I only have one friend, kind of sad isn't it."

Naruto laughed then too and Sasuke felt relieved that the blond seemed a bit better.

"Well, you treat me like a person. You are the only one who don't treat me like I am some kind of idol."
Naruto stood up softly and smiled.

"Why would I treat you like that? You want me to go all, Sasuke-kun, want to have dinner together with me?" Naruto said, faking a girl's voice at the end.

"Agh, you sound like Sakura. Stop that and never do that again." Sasuke said, while he closed his eyes a bit irritated that he was comparing Sakura and Naruto.
When he heard laughter he looked up and saw the blond laughing.

This laugh was different than his other ones, but Sasuke couldn't understand how.
When he stopped laughing he looked back at Sasuke, seeing that the curse mark had pulled back.

Naruto looked at him with worry.
"I'm fine. I won't go down that easily, loser." Sasuke replied when he saw Naruto looking at the curse mark.

Naruto simply smiled. "But what are we going to say when we return like this to Konoha?"
Sasuke was thinking and then in one hit he kicked Naruto backwards.

Naruto cried at the sudden impact on his stomach as he tried to gasp for breath. He felt fear in his body, fear that Sasuke had lied and would leave. Leaving him here or maybe even killing him.

When he looked up though, he saw it was something different.

"We just tell them you kicked some sense in me. And that's why we both returned." Sasuke said, amusement in his eyes.

Naruto laughed a bit, although it was painful. That kick had really hurt, a lot.
"Sounds fair." With that Naruto launched himself forward hitting Sasuke in the face.

-End Flashback-

Sasuke never told anyone the truth, and he knew Naruto had kept it a secret too. They both had passed out, Kakashi had found them both unconscious on the stone head of Madara Uchiha.

They had fought till they had passed out. But that fight had been different. Naruto had showed as side of himself he would never show anyone else. But despite that Sasuke had seen it before…

"Sasuke-kun! " a girls voice screamed. Sasuke looked up, he had heard Sakura call his name. he looked at the three girls in front of him. "What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, looking at the boy.

"Waiting." He replied coldly. The girls watched him with, they were curious.
"For who are you waiting for?" Ino asked.

"Why do you care?" Sasuke replied.
The girls looked taken aback. Sasuke was apparently in a bad mood.

"Sasuke-kun!" Someone screamed. Sasuke looked up in wonder, not recognizing the girl's voice calling him. A girl, black hair, was waving at him, but he didn't know her at all. Next to the girl was standing a male, brown short haired.

"Who is that girl?" Sakura asked. Hinata looked at the two, and then looked at the girl waving her hand at Sasuke. She felt strange vibes coming from her. She activated her byakugan. Her eyes widened, seeing that familiar chakra. No mistaking there. Naruto-kun…

She looked at Sasuke, who looked back at the three girls in front of him. His eyes widened as he saw Hinata's reaction.

Hinata looked back, as the two persons approached them.
"Don't say you don't remember me!?" The girl said quite angry.

Sasuke stood up. Ino looked back at Sakura and then towards Hinata. Hinata had turned her byakugan back off again, but shock was visible in her face.

"Should I know you then?" Sasuke replied back, rather cold. The girl raised her hand and wanted to hit him in the face. The brown male immediately grabbed the young girls' wrist, making sure that she wouldn't hit him.

Sasuke rose his eyebrows. The girls sighed. "Come with me damn, Uchiha." The girl said as she grabbed Sasuke's hands and pulled him away.

"HEY!? What do you do you think you are doing?" Sakura screamed.
"I'm sorry about this, but she needs to finish some business with him." The brown haired male said. "Ah, by the way. Her name is Michiyo and I am Yosuke. We are old friends of Sasuke, but he doesn't seem to remember."

Sakura looked at the male in front of her. "Haven't we met before either?" she asked, looking at the male.

Yosuke looked at her. "No, I am afraid not." He stated. "I'm sorry I should go and check on my girlfriend, before she gets herself in trouble." And with that the male left going after the other two.

When he caught up he noticed Sasuke sitting on his back inside his own house. Yosuke looked up at the girl. "What. He didn't want to come willingly. I had to get him out of there somehow." The girl said.

"Well. We could have waited till he was alone, Naruto-kun."
"Argh, don't call me that while we are here." The girl replied.

Itachi chuckled. "You still look awesome like a girl anyway, that hasn't change at all." Itachi replied.

Naruto glared, but his cheeks were a bit redder than before. "Careful, 'Tachi. I might buy you a suit someday and make you wear it."

Itachi cringed at that idea, he had to wear a suit one day cause he had made a deal with the blond, who had wore a dress that time.
They both remembered that day pretty well. It was the first day they had fun together.

"But we still managed to get here before Tsunade." Naruto said as he looked back at Sasuke, who was looking like he was about to wake up.

Sasuke groaned and grabbed his head. It hurts. What had happened.
"You finally awake sleepyhead?" A voice asked. Sasuke opened his eyes. That voice. Then he saw Naruto sitting in front of him, he was smiling at him.

"Naruto.. you?" Sasuke said, not believing it.
Naruto stood up and laughed a bit. "Yeah, me. Who else did you expect?"

End of chapter 18 ^^
Got another twist ready for the next chapter :P so be prepared.
Hope you enjoyed and till the next chapter :)